Candler Hospital Nursing School History
From 1904 until 1968, the Savannah Hospital Training School for Nurses and later named the Warren A. Candler Hospital School of Nursing Faculty graduated 652 students. These graduates served in nursing careers in nearly every state of the U.S., in different branches of the Armed Services, here and aboard, as well as serving as directors and educators.
CANDLER NURSING SCHOOL FACTS
- The first students – five – came to the Savannah Hospital in 1901 to be trained as nurses.
- The school of nursing was organized a year later.
- The first person to complete the Savannah Hospital Training School for Nurses was Miss Mary Elizabeth Simpson, later Mrs. James Milton Weatherly.
- The Savannah Hospital Training School for Nurses was accredited for the first time by the Board of Examiners of Nurses for Georgia in 1917.
- The school’s name was changed to the Warren A. Candler Hospital School of Nursing in 1931, one year after the Methodist Church purchased the city of Savannah's interest in the Savannah Hospital.
- In 1937, the school joined forces with Armstrong Junior College of Savannah for the basic sciences such as chemistry and biology, to be taught by Armstrong faculty in a college setting.
- In 1943, the Warren A. Candler School of Nursing joined with the Cadet Nurse Corps program in preparing nurses to serve in the Armed Services. The program ran from 1943 until 1948.
- By 1960, Armstrong College faculty taught nursing school students English, psychology, sociology, biology or anatomy, chemistry, microbiology, nutrition and physical education. Meanwhile, the basic nursing fundamentals – medical, surgical and obstetrical nursing – were still taught by Candler Nursing School faculty.
- The first homecoming festivities (also called Alumnae Day) were held in April 1946.
- The second homecoming was celebrated in 1952 when the School of Nursing was 50 years old from its formal organization.
- In 1963, the Board of Trustees approved the acceptance of men into the nursing school program.
- In 1966, students were permitted to get married during their last six months of school.
- In May of 1966, the notice was given of the closing of the Candler School of Nursing following the 1968 graduation.
- The last class to graduate was on Aug. 9, 1968. There were 10 students in the graduating class that year.
- A total number of 652 students graduated from the school program between 1904 and 1968.
Cost of Tuition:
- Up until the 1930s, there was no tuition. Students were actually paid a nominal sum each month they were in school. The students paid for their education by working for the hospital.
- In the 1930s, tuition was $75 for the three-year program and students still gave most of their time to working in the hospital.
- In 1950, student tuition rose to $322.50. The students worked less because more curriculum study was required.
- In 1964, student tuition was $920 plus other expenses.
- During the final years, curriculum requirements had increased so tuition rose to $1,079 plus living expenses for three years.
As we reflect on the history of the Warren A. Candler Hospital School of Nursing, we are reminded of the countless lives touched by its legacy. The graduates who walked our halls carried with them the mission of grace and dedication to service, transforming communities near and far. Though the school closed its doors in 1968, the impact of its work continues to resonate in the lives of those who served and the communities they touched. We are proud of the profound legacy that continues to inspire the spirit of care and compassion that defined the school’s work, and we remain committed to carrying forward the love and healing that have always been at its core.